What do you do if a fire breaks out in your workplace?

In my experience as someone who’s held the nozzle on a firehose during several industrial fires, it is extremely difficult to remain calm! The only way to fully understand how your fight or flight mechanism is going to respond is to be in middle of the real deal. Alternatively, you can prepare your mind for handling situations like these by simply training your fire brigade, running drills, not just tabletop exercises but real world scenarios involving simulated fires ROUTINELY. You must know your role in an emergency response plan. Lastly, debrief as soon as the event is under control to discuss lessons learned during the emery response phase to generate accurate feedback on after action reports identifying opportunities for improvement.

It is human nature to panic when a fire breaks out. However, panicking in such situations won't be helpful. If you stay calm, you'll be better equipped to fight the fire if you're trained, or assist others and yourself in evacuating safely and reporting the fire to the fire service team or establishment control room. Conducting periodic building evacuations is the best way to become familiar with safe work systems. Once you're familiar with this practice, you'll also be able to remain calm when responding to a fire.

During a workplace fire, maintaining composure is essential for effective response. Panic can escalate the situation, leading to poor decisions and increased risk. By staying calm, you can focus on implementing the fire emergency plan, which includes evacuation routes and procedures. Your composed demeanor can also reassure and guide others, promoting a safer evacuation. Remembering to breathe deeply and rely on established protocols will help mitigate panic and ensure a coordinated and orderly response to the emergency.

Se ocorrer um incêndio no meu local de trabalho, minha primeira a??o é acionar imediatamente o alarme de incêndio para alertar todos no prédio. Em seguida, evacuo o prédio seguindo o plano de emergência estabelecido, priorizando a seguran?a de todos. Se possível, utilizo extintores de incêndio para combater o fogo apenas se treinado para isso e se a situa??o permitir. Finalmente, comunico as autoridades competentes e aguardo instru??es adicionais fora do edifício.

This is why there are volunteer Fire Wardens in most buildings where I work in Canada, we are trained to remain calm and help the evacuation process. Everyone needs to follow the directions of the Fire Wardens on your floor of your office and just remain calm and walk in an orderly fashion. Learn where you need to go once you evacuate so that your name can be checked off as safe. The Fire Wardens or designated contact for your office will have a list of all employee names and they will check off the names of everyone that meets at the designated area. So stay calm, and follow all directions, and ensure you are noted as safe after evacuation.

You might become aware of a fire either by seeing smoke or flames or hearing the alarm. In such situations, it's important to immediately alert others and help them evacuate safely. If your workplace has a control room or station, inform them of the fire via phone or radio to alert all staff members. If the fire alarm system fails, use the MCP or Break Glass to activate the alarm manually. Staying vigilant and prepared for fire emergencies is essential for everyone's safety. By promptly notifying others and following established procedures, we can effectively respond to fires and minimize risks.

It is important to pull the fire alarm on your floor if your building has one, and alert security of the fire so they can start any necessary evacuation of that part or of the whole building, and can inform emergency services of the fire.

il est crucial de participer régulièrement à des exercices d'évacuation et de formation sur la sécurité incendie pour être prêt à agir correctement en cas d'urgence.

In the event of a fire, prompt and clear communication is critical for ensuring the safety of everyone in the workplace. Activating the fire alarm immediately upon discovering the fire and alerting your colleagues verbally are crucial steps to initiate a swift evacuation. Taking swift action to inform others can prevent potential delays in response and ensure that everyone is aware of the emergency situation. This proactive approach maximizes the time available for evacuation, reducing the risk of injuries and facilitating a more orderly and efficient evacuation process.

In my understanding, there are two types of evacuation procedures: Phased and Self-evacuation. Phased evacuation is applicable to buildings such as hospitals and prisons, which always need to be assisted by their competent staff members due to their vulnerable situations. On the other hand, self-evacuation is applicable to all non-residential buildings such as offices, administration areas, and staff rooms, where occupants will safely evacuate to the muster point on their own. In both cases, yearly mock drills must be conducted to raise awareness and knowledge among staff members.

My offices have always used Phased evacuation, with some employees trained as Fire Wardens for their floors. We are trained on the exits and where everyone is to go upon evacuation. Most office buildings do have fire drills to practice the evacuations in case of real emergencies. The Fire Wardens are to look around the floor to ensure everyone is out off the offices and help escort everyone down the stairs or on designated elevators for those that use wheelchairs or have other disabilities where they cannot use the stairs.

Une fois sorti, ne retournez pas dans le batiment en feu pour récupérer des objets personnels. Laissez cela aux professionnels.

Evacuating the building swiftly and safely is paramount during a fire emergency. Following designated evacuation routes and avoiding elevators are crucial steps to minimize risks and ensure a timely exit. In the presence of smoke, it's essential to stay low to the ground where the air is less contaminated and to cover your nose and mouth with a cloth to reduce inhalation of smoke and toxins. These actions can significantly increase your chances of safely evacuating the premises and avoiding potential harm during a fire emergency.

In my experience, swift action is crucial in the event of a fire outbreak. Immediately activating the fire alarm system is paramount to alerting everyone in the workplace. Ensuring the safe evacuation of all individuals, particularly those with mobility issues or disabilities, is a priority. Once outside, it’s essential to gather at the designated assembly point to ensure everyone is accounted for. Contacting emergency services promptly and providing them with relevant information allows for a coordinated response, while awaiting further instructions ensures the safety and well-being of all individuals involved.

You must always be mindful and competent when fighting fire using an extinguisher. It requires a thorough understanding of the type of fire you are dealing with. If not used correctly, life-saving equipment can become life-threatening. For example, if you use a water-type extinguisher on an electrical fire, the risk of electrocution is high. Similarly, using a dry powder extinguisher may damage nearby electrical gadgets that were initially in good condition. However, using a CO2 extinguisher can help save lives and preserve assets. It's crucial to have knowledge about fire extinguishers before attempting to fight a fire.

I think for some fires that it would be easier to use a fire blanket. They sell them everywhere even online. It takes the ability to spend several crucial seconds or minutes of figuring out how to use an extinguisher if you have never used one and works on all types of fires.

When conducting a Periodic Building Fire Risk Assessment, you must include the occupancy factors of the staff who work in that location. If you identify any disabled persons working within this location, you must suggest Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for them during evacuation, and they must have support aids such as Evac-chairs. If you notice anyone injured on the location, inform the emergency response team via the Fire Marshal. If you are trained, you can seek assistance from a colleague using safe lifting procedures to evacuate the injured party to relative or ultimate safety.

It is imperative that everyone follows directions and goes to the designated meeting point after evacuation. You must check in that you are out and safe. If you do not, they may think you are still in the building and waste precious time looking for you needlessly instead of fighting the fire. Follow all directions of the Fire Wardens and meet in your designated area and check-in. This happened with one job I had, a few women after a fire drill decided to go shopping and even though it was only a drill, the Fire Department still had to walk through the building looking for these women, while they were at the mall shopping. If it had been a real fire, the fire fighters would have been put in more danger needlessly.

Lo primero que debemos tomar en cuenta, es la seguridad propia, es decir estar a salvo, y verificar la magnitud del evento; en caso estemos entrenados y sea solo un amago, podemos accionar los extintores. Además de buscar la alarma CI para que todos puedan estar avisados de lo que esta sucediendo y en caso se requiera procedan a evacuar, utilizar el protocolo de comunicación, y en caso sea de mayor magnitud, verificar los sistemas CI con los que contamos para la actuación.